Chapter 1
After three years of marriage to Callan Thorne, Lila Carson received his wedding invitation out of the blue.
Lila was stunned for a moment. Her first reaction was that someone was playing a prank.
But after opened, she found that the invitation came from her niece, Zara Carson–who was also listed as the bride.
With her chest tight with confusion and dread, Lila immediately flew overseas to the address on the invitation.
Sure enough, a wedding was in progress-
There stood her husband Callan, his arm wrapped possessively around Zara’s waist, both smiling as they toasted their guests
Time seemed to stand still. For a brief moment, Lila wondered if she was seeing things. Maybe this man just resembled her husband?
But then the fireworks exploding in the sky shattered her last illusion, spelling out in bright blue letters: “CONGRATULATIONS CALLAN THORNE AND ZARA CARSON.”
Lila’s mind went blank. A sharp ringing filled her ears as her stomach churned violently. The overwhelming emotions transformed into physical pain as she covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom to throw up.
Just then, Callan and his groomsmen entered the adjacent men’s room.
Through the wall, Lila heard the groomsmen laughing: “Cal, you’re a fucking genius. Marrying Lila in the States and Zara abroad. One at home, one overseas–both getting the ring, both getting respect. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? My man Cal just did.”
“But wait, wasn’t little Zara always throwing herself at Cal? I thought you weren’t interested in her at all,” another said.
Hearing that, Callan’s midnight–dark eyes darkened. “I honestly wasn’t attracted to Zara at first. In my eyes, she was just a kid.”
‘But during those two years I was in a wheelchair, she was the one taking care of me. No matter how much I yelled at her, cursed at her, told her to get the hell out… she never left my side, never abandoned me.”
When a young woman loves you that intensely, even a heart of stone would eventually soften.”
On the other side of the wall, Lila’s face was streaked with tears. So they’d been together for three years already…
Callan and Lila were childhood sweethearts. From an early age, he’d shown extreme possessiveness toward her. In school, if any boy so much as spoke to Lila, Callan would beat him up.
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My Husband’s Second Wife
Chapter 1
But with Lila, he was incredibly gentle. She loved authentic French pastries for breakfast, so he would wake up two hours early to cross town to the specialty bakery and buy her fresh croissants and pain au chocolat–a routine he maintained for over a decade, from elementary school through college.
On Lila’s eighteenth birthday, he filled an entire beach with a thousand candles spelling out his declaration: “Lila, be my girlfriend. I won’t take no for an answer. If you refuse, I’ll just kidnap you and take you home with me.”
On her twenty–second birthday, he released a thousand illuminated paper lanterns into the night sky, each one nscribed with his handwritten wish: “LILA CARSON, MARRY ME!”
His proposals were always statements, never questions–he refused to accept rejection with his trademark irrogance that suggested he owned the world.
Lila, who had been protected by him her entire life, never considered refusing. Because she loved Callan–both his lomineering nature and his tenderness.
But unfortunately, shortly after their wedding, Callan was set up by a business rival and ended up in a car accident. hat left him paralyzed from the waist down.
The once–invincible man suddenly became confined to a wheelchair. Callan couldn’t accept this devastating eversal of fortune. He grew irritable and prone to outbursts, even developing self–destructive and suicidal endencies. Within three months, he had become a shadow of his former self.
Lila, I’m just a cripple now. I don’t deserve to be with you anymore,” he’d said. “But I can’t bear the thought of you vith another man. The very idea of you leaving me for someone else makes me want to destroy the whole fucking
vorld.”
I don’t want to hurt you, Lila. I’ve already signed the divorce papers, but as long as I’m alive, I can’t accept you eaving me… Let me die. Only my death will set you free.”
Of course, Lila refused. She loved Callan–wheelchair or not, her love remained unchanged.
But back then, Callan was fixated on death, and no amount of crying or pleading from Lila could change his mind.
n her desperation, Lila’s research advisor suddenly invited her to join a project developing a drug that could otentially reactivate damaged spinal cord nerve cells.
Callan’s paralysis was caused by severe spinal cord damage–so if the research succeeded, he might walk again.
eeing a glimmer of hope, Lila immediately accepted her advisor’s invitation.
he research team was based overseas, and Callan couldn’t bear having Lila so far away. So he commissioned a heart–shaped pendant made of pure gold and personally installed a miniature camera inside it.
Lila, I think I’m sick,” Callan had said. “I need to control your every move or I’ll lose my mind. You’re my life–1 an’t let you out of my sight.”
Jnderstanding his obsessive need for control, Lila willingly wore the pendant before flying overseas,
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My Husbandt’s Second Wifes Was My Niece 31
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Chapter 1
Two years later, Lila returned with the new drug.
It worked remarkably well. After a brief rehabilitation program, Callan could stand again.
Lila was overjoyed to tears. She thought she had saved their marriage, that the powerful, commanding Callan had returned to her side.
But who could have imagined that during her two years abroad, her own niece had seized the opportunity to steal everything that belonged to her?
And like a fool, Lila had known nothing about it, even regularly inviting her niece to stay at their home…
Lila pulled herself from these painful memories, still listening as Callan coldly ordered his groomsmen: “This stays between us. Keep your mouths shut. Anyone who breathes a word of this to Lila will wish they’d never been born.”
The groomsmen laughed. “Don’t worry, Cal. We wouldn’t dare. We all know Lila’s zero–tolerance policy. If she found out about you and Zara, she’d leave you in a heartbeat, then we’d all be dead men.”
Lila smiled bitterly. She left the wedding in a daze and boarded a flight home, feeling disconnected from reality the entire journey.
ck at home, she retrieved a set of divorce papers from the safe.
hese were the papers Callan had signed when he was paralyzed. At the time, Lila hadn’t signed them–but now she lid so without hesitation.
Callan, I never imagined what would ultimately destroy us wouldn’t be your disability, but our brief two–year eparation.
You say Zara stood by you faithfully during your paralysis. What about me? I went to the desert for you, working lay and night developing medicine under your constant surveillance. What does that make me?
ince you couldn’t remain faithful, I’m done with you.
15:35
